𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥𝐬 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥 : 𝑨 𝑴𝒂𝒇𝒊𝒂 𝑫𝒂𝒓𝒌 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆

|38|•Sᴡᴀʟʟᴏᴡ•(🔥)

BONDITA

A faint noise pulled me from the depths of sleep. At first, I ignored it, shifting slightly, pressing my cheek deeper into the soft pillow. A heavy sigh left my lips as exhaustion weighed down on me. The past few days had been nothing but endless festivities-celebrations that stretched from morning until late into the night. The swirl of music, the rustling of silk, the scent of flowers, and the rhythmic beats of dance had consumed me entirely. My limbs ached, each muscle screaming for rest, and all I wanted was to sleep without disturbance.

But then, another sound-a low, sharp clang-pierced through the silence, sending a ripple of awareness through me.

My brows knit together, the comforting haze of sleep slowly lifting as a strange unease settled over me. My eyelashes fluttered, heavy with drowsiness, as I forced my eyes open. The room was dimly lit, the soft golden glow of the lanterns flickering against the walls, casting long shadows that danced and stretched with the breeze that slipped through the slightly open window. My vision blurred momentarily, adjusting to the darkness.

I turned my head slightly, my gaze shifting around the chamber, searching for the source of the disturbance.

And that's when I saw them.

Two figures near the window.

My breath caught in my throat as my drowsy mind tried to make sense of what I was seeing. One of them was Anirudh. Even in the dim light, I recognized him instantly-the sharp cut of his broad shoulders, the familiar stance of his tall, commanding frame.

But the other...

A woman.

My heart gave a strange, uneasy lurch.

She stood close to him. Too close.

My fingers clutched the silk of the bedsheet beneath me as I tried to sit up, my movements slow and uncertain. My head was still clouded with sleep, but I could feel something thick and heavy in the air-something unspoken yet suffocating.

The shadows concealed much of her, but I could tell she was draped in black. The cloth that had once shrouded her was no longer covering her face, and even though I couldn't see her features clearly from where I lay, I could feel the weight of her presence pressing against the room like an unwelcome force.

Anirudh, however, was what unsettled me most.

His stance was rigid, his body taut like a bowstring pulled too tight. His hands were clenched-one gripping something I couldn't quite make out in the dim light. His posture, the way he stood frozen in place, sent an unfamiliar unease curling in my chest.

What was happening?

Why was she here?

A sudden, terrifying thought gripped me. Was she someone dangerous? Had she come to harm him?

No. No.

I shook the thought away almost instantly. This was Anirudh. He was not a man who allowed just anyone to stand so close, let alone invade his space in such a manner. He was always guarded, always careful, always...

But if that was true, then why was she standing so close?

Why hadn't he pushed her away?

A cold tendril of something-something unfamiliar, something sharp-began to unfurl inside me. My throat was dry, my mind racing with possibilities, but I forced myself to speak. My voice, weak from sleep and uncertainty, barely made it past my lips.

"Ani-Anirudh?"

The moment his name left my lips, the air in the room shifted.

His body stiffened, going impossibly still, as if I had struck him with a force far stronger than any physical blow. The woman barely moved, but I saw the slight hesitation in her stance, as if she had not anticipated my presence.